LEAPING LEOPARDS

Leopard is THE animal-themed print of the year (not that it wasn't last year too). 

But what could be more dashing (and animal-friendly) than a LIVE leopard as a fashion accessory? Didn't you know? Teensy dogs are SO last season. Teensy-dog-eating beasts of prey are NOW. 

THEN: Sorry, Elle.

NOW: J.Crew. 

It's certainly been done before... in the Golden Age of Hollywood, to be exact. The movie Bringing Up Baby is Katherine Hepburn's "lady of the mad manor" moment - remember her in The Philadelphia Story, swanning around the manse in a hilarious send-up of poor reporter Jimmy Stewart's impression of what the high life is like? In Bringing Up Baby, Hepburn's giddy, touchingly demented socialite takes center stage; escorted by a leopard named "Baby" she drives everyone to distraction (including, of course, the dashing Cary Grant). All ends well for everyone - including Baby - who is rewarded with steaks for not eating any of the local peasantry.

Just out for our afternoon constitutional...

Cartier's holiday ads this season equate little tiggers with big expense (but where is the jeweled collar, Cartier?). WARNING:  baby leopards will eat your accessories. Do not try this at home.

J.Crew - of course - is right on trend, featuring this DARLING five month old baby leopard in their current campaign. If I had Hepburn's dressing gowns and a spare freezer full of steaks, this would be my new pet. Also, I'd probably need a lot of band-aids.

If you are so terribly tame that this fashion season will not include you turning your abode into a Kenyan game preserve, the retailers of America are here to help. Pick from jewellery, accessories, and dresses - but remember, a little spot goes a long way!

/1. Daphne Simon ring at Vivre/ 2. Kenneth Jay Lane/ 3. iphone leopard cover at Amazon/ 4. Kate Spade/ 5. Waylande Gregory Studios at Vivre/ 6. Mulberry for Target/ 7. Leopard Belguique rugs at Ballard Designs/ 8. Judith Leiber/ 9. Oscar de la Renta/

P.S. Know the difference between a leopard, an ocelot, and a cheetah? Neither do I. If I've confused any of these creatures in this post, my apologies to the Animal Kingdom. And, FYI, I don't taste very good.   /Images/ June Pickney/ Elle Woods/ J.Crew/ Cartier/ Hepburn and Baby/ Hepburn and Peck/ *Jewellery is a sponsored link.

HUNG UP

I woke up this morning with one burning question on my mind - could it be? Was it a dream? Did Jonathan Adler MAKE CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS? Y. E. S.

Who doesn't want a squirrel on their Christmas tree? Or a bubble poodle?

Here's another creative addition - the Lollipop Holder. It's the official 2010 Gift You Did Not Know You Wanted. It probably looks good without the lollipops too, which is great, because I don't know where you can even get these anymore, and someone would just make you feel bad about eating high fructose whatever anyway. 

Adler's Pop Menagerie ornament series would make a lovely holiday memento for little ones -  perfect for "My First Ornament."

And the reason we all like Adler: he calls a carb a carb (and then eats it).

*Special Holiday Diet Tip:  if you break cookies in two, it breaks the calories in half as well. But only if you only eat one half of the cookie. 

/Images/jonathanadler.com/

DALLAS MAKES ME WANT TO PUT ON ALL MY JEWELRY AT THE SAME TIME

I tried it...

But seriously, rhinestones everywhere. On socks. On hats. On baby carriers. I am in the Sparkle Capital of the World. And I am loving it. But beneath all the bling, Dallas is also, among other things, the capital of BBQ, wide roads, drive-through Starbucks, SUVs in the drive-through Starbucks, big skies, friendly hellos, and great shopping. At one point, I got out at a gas station, where "America, America!" was blaring from the speakers, no fewer than six people said hello as if my personal existence made life worth living, the long horns over the door were wider than my car, and they were serving free wine samples inside (non-alcoholic, one hopes). I shed a big Texas tear. Because you can't shed small tears in Texas - everything is jumbo sized.

As are the deals... first up, the Buchanan Flea Market, where shoppers were sprinting up and down the aisles with gleeful abandon (or maybe that was just me), and there was, yet again, no danger of a sparkle shortage.

Trying on a beautiful vintage 1940s bracelet.

Real. And no longer available on the world market.

Alligator with alligators!

Gobs of furs... so many sellers had "recycled" furs - vintage pieces that had been meticulously cleaned, and if needed, restored and relined.

This booth had a scad of rabbit fur coats. For $18 a piece. SHUT UP.

Yes, you should "Decorate Your Boots."

My next stop was the fantastic Area 25, a home new and consignment items store and staging company, on West Lovers Lane - oh it was love alright. I was in love with EVERYTHING.

Chinoiserie chairs...

So many beautiful mantel displays. Their staging expertise certainly shows in the store.

Fabulous malachite tables atop a cowhide rug. So Tony Duquette goes to Texas, no?

Speaking of furs, yet again, Area 25 had a stunning selection of cowhides. I was amazed at what great rugs they make (very flat and easy to walk on). This one was a true stunner - it's speckled with silver paint!

An artful pile of still more rugs...

And yet another beautifully colored cowhide. The prices were lovely too - $350 to $550 (for the silver beauty).

The turquoise marble lamp base was incredible. You can't tell in the picture, but this is actually a matched set. What doesn't Dallas have?

All images, my own. Please attribute.

ASPEN

Willows whiten, aspens quiver,

Little breezes dusk and shiver

Through the wave that runs for ever

By the island in the river

Flowing down to Camelot.

- The Lady of Shalott, Sir Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Aspens, burnished in the autumn sun over the Rocky Mountains, offer the last flash of light before a long winter. The room above, from a spread in Elle Decor, reminded me of the beauty of early winter in the West:  the gold of Aspen trees, a soft blanket of white, and a cozy fireside, ready for you to sit down with a cup of hot coco. 

I'm ready to try this at home - with extra whipped cream! Below are a few of my favorite finds from West Elm, which has some of the best Western inspiration of the season. Shop online, and you won't have even have to use your snowshoes.

P.S. If you want the best Western inspiration in ANY season, pop over to one of my favorite blogs, Vogue on the Range, where the very stylish Lacey is "putting a little glam in your giddyup."

/Images/ Aspen Room, Elle Decor/ Yellowstone Aspens/ Grand Teton Aspens/ Home Goods, West Elm/

WATCH ME - CHEAP AND CHIC

Isn't this sporty little watch cute? Very resort - and so fun thrown on with a few bangles. But I must say it looks slightly... familiar.

Oh yeah!

Introducing a brilliant little invention from HEX, the ipod nano watch band, $24.95 in a selection of  candy-fun colors. Don't forget to customize your ipod nano screen to match, as shown below. 

A great gift for techies or anyone who likes their music on the go (and what about stuffed in a stocking?).

/All images/Apple.com and Shophex.com/

ALL THAT GLITTERS

Jingle jangle!
Shine and sparkle!
Here are a few favorite baubles to kick off what I may or may not yet be willing to refer to as the "holiday season" (on the defensible grounds that no holidays have taken place). But, if you're feeling rather festive because of, oh, a particular date in December, here are the spots to shop!

TORY BURCH

ALEXIS BITTAR

FRAGMENTS FOR NEIMAN MARCUS

JUICY COUTURE

KENNETH JAY LANE
All images, companies as attributed.

HIGH SKY ADVENTURE

Couture Carrie recently featured a snapshot of this lovely, jewel box of an apartment shown in Architectural Digest, and it reminded me of nothing so much as a three dimensional Mondrian. Care to live in a work of art?

Composition No. 10. 1939-42

Architect Lee F. Mindel designed the space, resplendent with "views and light."

And speaking of high-wire acts, here is a featured home in the NYTimes - a dreamscape set in Seattle's stratosphere. Fitting that children live there, since it strikes me as a the figment of a child's imagination - dwelling high above the city like the man in the moon - in a pyramid of glass and light. Who could resist that? Well, everything except the 35 story elevator ride...

How would you like to live on top of the world?

/Images/Architectural Digest/NYTimes/Mondrian/